Platinum, Gold and Diamonds. The story of Hans Merensky’s discovery

Author: Eberhard W. Machens
Publisher: Protea Boekhuis
Pretoria, 2009
ISBN: 9781869192006
Soft cover, 15x22 cm, 308 pages, photos, English

Hans Merensky war hochbegabter Prospektor und Geologe und darüber hinaus ein Beispiel an Vielseitigkeit, Lebenskraft, Kreativität und vorausschauendem ökonomischen und philosophischen Denken.

Description:

Both in South Africa and in Namibia, the name Hans Merensky summons a multitude of well-known public places and instututions:

The famous Merensky Reef in the Bushveld Complex, the Merensky Dam, Hans Merensky Nature Reserve near Tzaneen, the Hans Merensky Hotel and Golf Estate in Phalaborwa, the Hans Merensky Library at the University of Pretoria, a Hans Merensky Foundation and a Hans Merensky High School, to name but a few.

These names, however, leave untold a biography that resembles an adventure novel: The story of Hans Merensky’s extraordinary discoveries.

Born the son of the well-know missionary Alexander Merensky at Botshabelo in the eastern Transvaal, trained as a geologist in Germany, he was drawn back to South Africa by his creative ambition to explore the potential of the country of his birth.

Hans Merensky proved to be far more than the “wizard geologist” the press dubbed him during his heyday.

Today it is obvious that Merensky was not only a scientist of note, but also an extremely far-sighted economic strategist, agricultural trendsetter, humanitarian and philanthropist.